Aeroplane flying-machine.



J. M. BIG-Gs. AEBOPLANB FLYING MACHINE. APPLIEJATION IILEDJUNE 28, 1909.968,734. Patented Aug. 30, 1910..

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T751985 II'VVEIV-TOR dam M. 5/665" ATTORNEYS J. BIGGS. AEROPLANE FLYINGMACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 28, 1909.

968,734. I Patented Aug. 30,1910.

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ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

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.J. M. BIGGS.

IIVI/EIVTOR (/o/m/ IV. 5/GG5 BY ATTORNEYS ABROPLANE FLYI'NG MAGHINB.APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1909.

.vwmmssss J. M. BIGGS.

AEROPLANE FLYING MACHINE. APiLIOATION FILED JUNE 28, 1909.

Patented Aug. 30,1910.

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-' lNl/EIVTOR dam/V. Ewes AITORNEYS 6%Mg/VE88E8 mp nnirn n STATES JOHN'BIGGS, or DAYTON, omo.

PATENT, clarion.

I AEROPLAN E FLYING-MACHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

Application filed June 28, 1909. Serial No. 504,717.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, JOHN M. Bless, a

- citizen of the United .States, and a resident itself by the weightofthe A further object of my invention is to a specification.

of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplane F lying-Machines,of-which the following is My invention relates ,to an improved aeroplaneand it consists in the combinations, constructions and in described'andclaimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an aeroplane of symmetrical andpleasing appearance in which the framework'is made v .of a shape to givethe greatest strength and rigidity, with two wing-like planes attachedto the edges and a third plane forming a canopy above it.

A further object of my invention is to relieve the sameness of thesurface of the side planes. To this end I make use of the stars .bystriking a cross or contrary current from any direction it willautomatically right car.

' provide meansby which the steering of the wheels attached to theaeroplane upwardly or downwardly may be easilyaccomplished. To attainthis I secure to. the main frame a wire rope, cable or otherconnection'which passes around the axle'of a steering Wheel in thesuspended car and thence out to. the opposite end of the frame. Theturning of the steering wheel thus gives a relative movement to the .carand the planes and causes the latter to tilt upwardly or downwardly toany desired angle.

A. further object of my invention is to provide means for preventinginjury to the car and its occupants when the machine descendsfito theearth, the means by which this is accomplished comprising a set of bodyof the car' and pairs of spring runners. The wheels pro-' arrangementsheretions being shown in ject'below the runners normally and strike theground first in the descent, but if the pressure is greatenoughthesprings of the car to which the axles areattached, are flexed and therunners come into play thereby relievingthe strain on the wheels. Otherobjects and'advantages will appear features of the device. will beparticularly pointed outin the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingsin which similarcharacters indicate like parts in the various views, in which Y Figure 1is a side view of the device; Fig. 2 is a detail view of the means fortilting the planes upwardly and downwardly; Fig. 3 is -a rear view ofthe device, certain porplan view of a portion .of the main framework;Fig. 5 is a plan .view porting planes, and Fig. 6 isa detail View of theball-bearing joint.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a main frame, such as that shownin the drawings, consisting of the side tubes A, A, see Figs. a and'5,andt-he cross members B and B. The latter are formed preferably of twopieces screwed into the joint, J, of the kind shownin detail inFigLG.The upright arms 0 and C are secured to the front and the framework. Thetube sections E and F connect the joint J with the front and rear endplates G and H respectively. Theguy ropes K and L extend from the frontplate Gr through theside tubes A and A respecs The guy rope M, see Fig.1,- extends rom the plate Gr through a central tube D which joins theuprights C and C, to the rear end plate H. '.A central shaft S extendsfrom the front to the rear of the-device and through the end plates Gand H. At the forward end of the shaft is secured a propeller R and an-.other propeller P is secured to the rear end. Referring now to'Fig. 6it will be seen that the joint J isprovided with a ball bearing portion7' arran ed to receive the end thrust of the shaft while the plate H isprovided with a ball bearing portion p arranged to receive the thrustfrom the propeller P in the opposite'direction; The main shaft Sisprovided with a pulley or driving wheel 8 secured to the shaft in themanner clearly shown inthe figure.

in the following specification and the novel sectionpFig. 4 is a tivelyand connect with the rear end late H.

of the main suprear joint J respectively and form part of Referring nowto Fig. 3 I have shown the car 1 suspended from the cross members B bymeans of the arms 2 which are pivotally attached to the cross bar 3running underneath the car. The forward end of the car is similarlysupported and the car therefore is enabled to swing backward and forwardon the pivoted arms. The wheels 1 are secured at the front and rear endsof the car 1 by flat springs 5 which in turn are connected with thebottom of the car. Attachedto the bottom of the car on either sidethereof are the runners (S and 6. These runners it will be observed areinside of the wheels. This enables the wheels to be set far apart togive a wide wheel base.

Referring now to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the main suspending planesconsist of two wing like surfaces X and Y respectively. These arepivotally attached to the rods or cables m and y at each side of themain frame, these rods being carried by the ends of the arms B and B.These planes or wings may be raised or lowered at different elevations,but in their normal position are extended in the manner shown in Fig Torelieve the sameness of so much plane surface stars and stripes are usedto give the effect illustrated in Fig. 5.

The central plane Z is shown in Figs. 1 and 3. It is made by placingsmall uprights of tubing 2' on the main frame to which a. surroundingrim 9' of wire is secured. The frame is covered with a series of stripsof wood or aluminum held together with aluminum wire and this frameworkis covered with silk or canvas;

The steering of the aeroplane is accomplished by the hand wheels 7 and8. The former is on a shaft 9 having a wheel 10 on its bottom aroundwhich a rope or cable 11 is wound, the ends of which are attached to thewheels 12 and 12 on the rods 13 and 13' to which the rudders 14 and 14'are secured. The shifting of the hand wheel 7 turns the rudders on theirrespective shafts so as to cause a movement in a lateral direction. Thehand wheel 8 is on a shaft 15 having a small drum over which the cable16 passes, the cable being wound with one or two turns around the drum.The cable 16 passes underneath an idler 17 at the forward end of the carand then outwardly and is attached to the front plate G. The oppositeend of the cable is passed around the idlers 18, 19, 20 and 21 and isattached to the rear end plate H. The hand wheel 8 may be locked inposition by means of the spring actuated dog 22 which engages theratchet wheel 23 on'the shaft 15 but which may be released by pressingdown on the handle, thereby withdrawing the dog and permitting themovement of the wheel.

IVhile I have described only one rope 16, it will be understood thatthere are two,16

and 16, one on each side of the machine as clearly shown in F 3.

In order to insure equilibrium I may providea keel O underneath thecanopy plane Z and a smaller keel 0 on top of the same, see Fig. 1.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood.

The machine may be run by any suitable motor carried in the car orunderneath of it by a belt over the pulley s. The engine may be reversedand the machine may be propelled in either direction.

The guidance of the machine is accomplished as stated before by turningthe hand wh el 7 which turns the rudders l4 and 1 1 at either end of themachine. In tilting the machine upwardly or downwardly the hand wheel 8is manipulated, winding up the rope on one side and paying it off on theother. This causes a relative movement of the suspended car and the restof the machine, z'. e., the planes and the main frame. The center ofgravity being low the car automatically retains its position and hencethe planes are tilted, thereby eausingtlie device to ascend or descendat will. I desire to call particular attention to this means of tiltingthe planes upwardly or downwardly, since it forms one of the mainfeatures of my invention.

The frame already describedis a minimum of weight with a maximum ofstrength.

The car may be of any approved design but is well lighted and isinclosed on all sides to protect the occupants from the wind and theweather.

It will be observed that the machine runs in alongitudinal direction orin the direction of its length like a boat, bicycle, or a railroad traininstead of going sidewise in the manner of certain well knownaeroplanes.

The center of gravity of the device is low and therefore the machine isstable. Ordinarily, as when the machine is on the ground, it issupported by means of the wheels 4, but if, in making a descent theimpact on the ground is great the wheels are forced upwardly againstthe'tension of the springs 5 and the runners 6 are brought into contactwith the ground thereby relieving the wheels of the great strain andpreventing them from breaking.

I am aware that other forms of the device based upon the same idea mightbe made, but I consider as my own and desire to claim all suchmodifications as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. An aeroplaneflying machine, comprising a main frame, a suspendingplane secured thereto on each side thereof, a third plane secured at thetop of said frame becar suspended from said main frame, springs securedto said car, wheels carried by sail springs, runners secured to saidcar, said wheels being adapted to project normally below said runnersbut to move-upwardly under increased pressure to bring said runners intooperative position.

3. An aeroplane flying machine,'comprising a main frame, a suspendingplanesecured thereto on each side thereof, a third plane secured at thetop of said frame, between said side planes, a car suspended centrallyof the device, said car being provided at its ends with downwardlyprojecting fiat springs, wheels carried by said springs,

runners secured to said car body below said springs said wheels beingarranged to prop rt 'j'ect' normally below said runners and to moveupwardly by a flexure of their supsprings to bring said runners intooperative position.

4. An aeroplane flying machine comprisfling a main frame, ;a suspendingplane se cured thereto, at eachifside thereof, a third plane secured tothefltop 'of said frame between said sideplanes, a car pivotallysuspended from said frame, on-an axis transverse of the machine, springsat the forward and rear ends of the car, wheels carried by said springs,runners carried by said car, said runners having downwardly projectingJOHN M. BIGGS. Witnesses:

I. L. HALDERMAN,

. H. E. HESSLEB.

portions at the ends of the car and having

